From hardware to data sanitation, your project can benefit from expert support. In this article, project manager at SONAH Carolin Schuller will guide you through each stage of our processes and give you insight into how our collaboration will look!
My name is Carolin Schuller, project manager at SONAH, and I’m excited to show you what our collaboration might look like!
At SONAH, it’s our goal to provide cities and businesses with the knowledge and user-friendly tools to pursue holistic mobility concepts and create modern, sustainable, and liveable infrastructure. That’s why we use simple tools and communicate concisely and effectively with customers throughout the process of project management.
ConceptualizationÂ
This is the first stage of collaboration between SONAH and you, the customer. At this point, we have compiled all the details and requirements of your project into a visual representation on MapHub, as well as having had a 635 workshop to really flesh out all of our ideas.
We can do all the preparation with or without an onsite visit. That’s up to the customer to decide, but either way we will ascertain the best mounting points and angles for sensors and therefore the most cost-effective way to cover all parking spots in the area. By the time we want to accelerate the project to installation, everything and everyone is planned and ready to go. ‘Never underestimate the value of preparation’ is one of our company values, after all.
635 Workshops
Interested in pursuing a smart parking project but not sure where to start or where you can create the most value? Get in touch with us to discuss a joint workshop OR sign up to our newsletter to find out when we release an online guide to our workshops.
Installation of your parking management system
With that information, our team can head over to the site for installation. We have experience setting up multiple installation combinations e.g. overhead sensors mounted on a wall/ roof tops with permanent power supply or mounted on lamp-posts with either permanent power supply or intermittent power supply (only during the night, typically) plus battery. Beyond overhead sensors, we also install on/inground sensors for parking as well as theÂ
No matter what installation method, this time on site is important for us project managers. Once installed and the correct areas covered, the pre-trained smart neural network calibrates the camera and system to the new conditions.Â
Benefits of Overhead Sensors
Simple installation style with easy-to-follow instructions
Each sensor can be installed within 20 minutes
The advanced, time-consuming part of the technology is configured remotely
Depending on pre-existing power structures, little to no disruption of daily operations
No need to clear out car parks to install, for instance, ground sensors in each spot
Calibration
After 4-8 weeks of calibration, the system can recognize with minimum 98% accuracy whether a car is occupying the parking space or not. By this time, the system should ideally have seen every parking space once as occupied or free in order to understand the new set-up location’s conditions i.e. the camera’s height, in sunlight v shade, different weather etc. For the most part, this is completely automated.
Based on our maintenance data (detection metadata, temperature, exposure, etc.), we can make concrete statements about the performance of the system in order to plan and implement further steps.
In the event that the detection performance requires further optimisation, "retraining" can be carried out in a remote process in consultation with the customer.
"The detection quality is excellent with an average of +98% and the collaboration in the project worked really well."
Sebastian Schmerberg
(SIEMENS, Erlangen)
Configuring your Front- & Backend
This is where the project gets really interesting for clients – the arrival of your data! The majority of our customers require a frontend platform for their project, although some opt to purchase only the API to integrate live data.Â
Using our software, we configure the project and data into an easily accessed platform. These contain a collection of dashboards showing the data and analytics specific to the customer’s requirements, as well as the iFrame to integrate live data into their websites or applications. Want to know what services we offer? Sign up here to receive a flyer!
Depending on what data/applications the customer requires, we offer both individualized and SONAH standard frontends. You can check out some examples of both the customized versions and the SONAH world collection of data below.
Data Sanitization and MaintenanceÂ
My job, as project manager, doesn’t end here. In fact, data sanitation is another aspect of what makes us stand out to our customers; we’re on it at all times to keep up the precision and efficiency of our sensors. We perform regular checks on important KPIs using the processes set up as we go along, as well as keeping an eye on any anomalies or unusual showings.Â
Thank you for your attention! If you have any questions about how we set up your projects, go ahead and get in touch.
